Nyack/ATS Dr. Michael Scales shared breaking news with the campus community on Wednesday, March 24:

“The Evaluation Visit Team from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education delivered their findings to administration and members of the campus community. The Team is recommending to the Commission the reaffirmation of the College's accreditation for the next ten years. They noted that the college meets all 14 Standards for Excellence of the Commission.

“In a departure from the usual practice of these reports to a campus community, Team Chair, Dr. David Black (President, Eastern University) asked Team Member, Dr. Cheryl Lynn Horsey (Vice President for Student Services, Gwynedd-Mercy College, PA) to read a commendation of the College. Dr. Horsey praised the College for its commitment to its core values and the very real way that its students embody those core values. She also noted that Nyack's students were its most powerful asset—a glowing testimony to the wonderful educational program of the college and the dedication of a faculty who truly believe in student success.”

Dr. Scales detailed well-deserved gratitude and praise for:

Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, Dr. David Turk, who earlier engaged MSA. He gave time in order to serve on visiting MSA teams and he learned a LOT that assisted us. For example, he foresaw that “assessment” was the main theme of MSA and he began installing and developing people and systems. While we have a lot of work to do, I shudder to think where we would be if he had not seen and acted.

The Chairs of the eight working groups (Anita Underwood, Len Kageler, Michele Pinkham, Mark Meehan, JoAnn Looney, Dell O'Hara, Ben Schepens and Fred Arzola) and the two Self Study Co-Chairs (Frank Chan and Fred Arzola) for all their work in organizing the self study process and developing a draft of the self study.

The over 75 faculty and staff who worked on the eight working groups - faculty and staff from every campus and every program of the institution who developed charts, researched data and wrote chapters.

Ben Schepens, our Assistant Provost, whose experience leading us through NCATE was invaluable and led us through our birth as an institution that “assesses” - Roberto Chia and Molly Midgett, who put together an online document room and hard copy doc files that rival the holdings of the Library of Congress!

Bonita D'Amil, who with assistance from Carol Ann Freeman and Deb Harris, organized EVERYTHING and made sure that every team member was comfortably situated and that every meeting occurred as planned.

The Trustees: Ron Eastman, Duane Wheeland, TY Lee, Carolyn Tonge, Lucy Guzman, Bruce Terpstra, Donna Baptiste and Mark Wellman, who either drove some distance or flew in to meet with the Team on Monday. Their commitment is extraordinary and they wonderfully displayed their passion for Nyack College and ATS to the visiting team.

The SGA from each campus and students from each campus who were so professional and effusive in their praise of Nyack - its faculty and staff especially. Their meetings with the team truly helped end all of the interviews with a true "bang."

Each and every one of you who, by divine appointment, so passionately believe in this great cause.

Finally, I want to thank our wonderful God for allowing me to serve among such devoted colleagues.